Grandeur arrives at Waterfront Cebu City

MANILA, Philippines - In early 2011, the country’s largest first-class hotel operator, Waterfront Philippines Inc., announced that it would embark on a multimillion-peso renovation program geared toward further improving its flagship property in Cebu, the grand and stately Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

The project is divided into three major phases: the renovation of the grand and lower lobbies of the hotel; the renovation of the function rooms; and eventually the renovation of the larger convention facilities of the hotel.

Phase one will be completed in the current year, while phases two and three will begin in 2013. Each phase costs around P100 million.

The Waterfront management is pleased to announce the completion of the grand lobby, which was opened to serve guests last May 3.

“With the launching of the newly renovated lobby comes a promise of enhancing our present product and service offerings that will eventually yield to better guest experience,” said Waterfront’s assistant to the president Weslie Gatchalian.  

“Separate canopies and entrances have been built for the hotel, casino and convention areas, which will certainly improve traffic patterns. Guests are guaranteed an even better check-in experience with a brand new reception area, which includes a more spacious concierge counter and a wider front desk that will cater exclusively to individual travelers,” Gatchalian said.

“Brand new communications and IT gadgets have been acquired to further ensure the smooth reception of guests as well. Other enhancements include newly built ticket booth for conventions and concerts, Egyptian marble flooring, improvements to the ceiling’s three coves and the lobby’s balconies and staircases, and state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment,” he added.

Apart from improvements to the general structure of the lobby, the Lobby Lounge itself now offers an all-new dining and lounging experience, with newly installed glass panels, semi-enclosing each side of the lounge.  

Fully equipped bar areas have also been installed in the middle of each of the lounge’s two sections, ensuring that diners get more efficient and prompt service.  

To enhance the overall guest experience, the hotel’s food and beverage team, headed by its director, Alastair Granger, has put together additional features such as nightly entertainment by the city’s top performers, soulful afternoon music by soloists, a selection of afternoon tea packages available to guests from 2 to 6 p.m. daily, and an offering of fantastic gourmet desserts created by no less than French Group Executive Pastry Chef Daniel Lajoux.  

Diners now have the option to choose from a variety of flambé creations, which will be prepared by the lobby’s servers right in front of them.  

A selection of fine wines is also available from the lobby’s very own wine dispenser, with enomatic cards of varied denominations.

Waterfront’s patrons can now expect more efficient service with the addition of these facilities. The newly constructed group check-in counter which is dedicated solely to corporate and travel groups complements the hotel’s main lobby along with the new duty free area, and the new Casino Filipino wing. This increases operational efficiency and adds more exciting features for the hotel’s customers.

Waterfront Philippines Inc., through its Waterfront Hotels and Casinos brand name, is currently the largest Filipino-owned hotel chain in the country today.

It operates five first class hotel-casino properties in the major cities of Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao. In Manila, it operates the Manila Pavilion Hotel & Casino and G-Hotel by Waterfront, its latest venture in the boutique hotel category.

In Cebu, it runs the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan. In Davao, it operates the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

Cumulatively, the group runs close to 1,600 guest rooms, employ 1,670 employees, and have over 13,500 square meters of convention and gaming space.

Its 2010 audited financial statements show the company registering P1.9 billion in gross revenues, with a gross operating profit of P389 million. The flagship Cebu City hotel contributed 40 percent of gross revenues.